


Anakin isn't the father, is he?

by NyeLung



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Scene Rewrite, badass Padmé
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-31 01:13:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13964166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NyeLung/pseuds/NyeLung
Summary: An AU, where Obi-Wan is the father of the twins.





	Anakin isn't the father, is he?

**Author's Note:**

> So, this was part of a project where you had to take a quote from the movies, change it and then write how it came to be that way and write all of that in character. Quite a challenge but I loved it.  
> I can basically claim it happened because I tend to mishear that one line by Obi-Wan into what I made the title :D

###  **_Anakin isn't the father, is he?_ **

“When was the last time you saw him?”

A simple question. He had left out every introduction, every phrase, every politeness that had been drilled into him. This was important to him. She would have smiled by the circumstances were far to dark for such pleasures. She couldn't even look at him, feared that he would be able to look into the deepest corners of her soul. He had always been able to with her. And she with him. She was afraid what she would be able to see in his soul.

“Yesterday.”

She also knew when she had seen Obi-Wan this way the last time.

A quiet night on Naboo. In the distance one could hear the partying Naboo and Gungans even in the darkest of the palace gardens. The Trade Federation had been defeated. Naboo was free again. It was a day of joy. Only one was grieving. Alone. Forsaken.

He looked like that again.

Forsaken. Alone. Grieving.

“And do you know where he is now?”

Still she couldn't look at him. His eyes would now wear the haunted expression of someone who had lost all securities. Just like on Naboo. First his Master, now his former Padawan.

She hadn't been able to look at him then, too. She had hidden behind a pillar and had only slowly walked closer. He had heard each of her steps and still hadn't reacted. It didn't fit to the image she had fantasized of him after he had saved her from the battle droids. His shoulders had been quivering.

“No”, her answer cut the silence. So much time since this simple word ripped them apart.

He had been alone in his grief, had only tried silently to cry in the palace gardens but the pain had been too great for tears. Padmé had cried for him. It had been all she could do for him. One long night had she held him up and they both had known that more was not possible. They departed in silent agreement from each other.

“Padmé”, he admonished her sharply. “I need your help. He's in grave danger.”

But who is in greater danger? You are walking a fine line, she wanted to yell at him. She couldn't. Too well did she remember the way she had held him on Naboo. Another's tears, a gripped hand, one sinful kiss...

“From the Sith?”, she asked pointedly.

Look at yourself. You are not yourself, Obi-Wan. Everyone could see that. They wouldn't have gotten to know him as well for that as she had in that one night. Who has seen a man at his darkest, knows him better than anyone who has only seen him on good days. Maybe it was true. She knew that she couldn't tell him where Anakin was. He wouldn't walk the fine line then. He would jump into the abyss.

“From himself. … Padmé, Anakin has turned to the dark side.”

That couldn't be. But the hurt in his eyes spoke truthful. It was the same hurt she had seen after Quinlan Vos had fallen to the dark side.

“You're wrong. How could you even say that?”

Please, say that it is a lie, she pleaded inwardly. She hoped that he would see it in her eyes. She hoped that he would see it the same he had seen it on that mission after Vos had fallen. There she had given him security. Now she had no security left to give. Anakin had his failures but he would never …

“I have seen … a security hologram... of him … killing younglings.” His voice was strained and broke completely under the steady onslaught of his emotions.

Padmé didn't want to believe it. Anakin had his failures but he would never … He would never do something so horrible.

“Not Anakin. He couldn't.”

Please, please, have lied. And if this is the truth, then come to me. Come to me, let yourself be held, let yourself be comforted. Just like on Naboo. Just like on that mission on Dxun after Vos had fallen.

Could Anakin really not? He had slaughtered a whole village. He was impulsive, again and again. With the right push … could he?

“He was deceived by a lie. We all were. It appears that the chancellor is behind everything, including the war.” He made a meaningful break. “Palpatine is the Sith Lord we've been looking for. After the death of Count Dooku, Anakin became his new apprentice.”

No!

“I don't believe you. I can't...” She let herself fall heavily onto the couch. Obi-Wan followed her. The baby kicked her. It always did when Obi-Wan was close.

After Naboo he had only once showed himself that vulnerable. On Dxun. She had comforted him in the only way she knew. She had held him, dried his tears until they didn't flow any longer. And then she had taken advantage of that weak moment when he had been more man than Jedi.

“Padmé... I _must_ find him”, he said empathetically. His voice finally made her look at him directly. His jaws were stone as though he had to keep himself from breaking down. His eyes were set directly on her and looked through her at the same time. She could read him without problems. He was so open, so different from the snake's den named senate.

“You're going to kill him, aren't you?” Her voice quivered. She didn't want to believe what was written there in his eyes. Endless pain. Alone. Forsaken. Grieving.

He needed far too long to find an answer. “He has become a very great threat”, he justified himself lamely. 

Padmé knew that he was right. Anakin could kill them all. Could he, though? Could he kill her? He said that he loved her. Could he?

Of course, he could when he got to know what he should never know. She was weak. She didn't love him. His silent idolisation of hers was creeping her out. But sometimes, when she was weak and in need of a certain man's warmth that she could never have, Anakin was there.

“I can't.” For him. For Anakin. For herself. She was to blame. She was no saint, no idol. She was a warrior for her people, for those she loved. For her baby. Stubbornly, she raised her chin. Not all fights could be won with weapons. Sometimes it was silence. If only she had stayed silent towards Anakin, hadn't encouraged him …

Obi-Wan rose when he realized that she wouldn't answer, disappointed of course, and he left. In front of his fighter he stopped and turned around to look at her. She was able to read in him. And so was he. “Anakin isn't the father, is he?”

Her gaze told him everything. Guilt. He left and while he did, he said: “I'm so sorry.”

They both didn't know what for. Was he sorry that he had ripped them apart? Was he sorry that he hadn't told her his feelings when they had had the chance? Was he sorry that he hadn't banned her completely from him life? Or was he sorry for this one night of love on Dxun?

Padmé wept silently.

What should she do now?

Her baby kicked.

She had to go to Anakin. If there was one person who could still stop him, it was her. Her baby still kicked, the whole way to Mustafar while she fell into a short, uneasy sleep.

 

“I saw your ship.” He embraced her. Even despite the heat of the lava planet, Padmé was cold. Her baby didn't kick any longer. As though it was afraid. “What are you doing out here?” There was genuine worry in his eyes.

“I was so worried about you. Obi-Wan … told me terrible things.” For a moment she allowed herself to enjoy the embrace. It felt so wrong.

“What things?”

“He said, that you turned to the dark side... that you … killed younglings.” Tears welled up in her eyes against her will again.

“Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me.”

“He cares about us.”

“ _Us_?”

“He knows. … He wants to help you.”

And Anakin smiled, that smile that she would love to scratch from his face. So different from Obi-Wan. Arrogance where Obi-Wan was calmness. Just with her had he shown his grief and not even with her had he shown his true laughter.

“Anakin, all I want is your love.” The smile vanished. Had he understood what she had been trying to tell him? She wanted neither his idolisation nor his anger. She didn't even love him but she would lie as often as necessary if it would prevent Obi-Wan from doing something he would never be able to forgive himself for.

“Love won't save you, Padmé. Only my new powers can do that.”

Ignorant.... she didn't need saving. Didn't he get that?

“At what cost? You're good person. Don't do this.”

Maybe he would listen to her. At his core, Anakin was a good person but his temper made it difficult to see most times. An angry Anakin didn't look like the good person she liked. At best he looked like a stubborn child, at worst … like a murderer.

“I won't lose you the way I lost my mother. I'm becoming more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of. And I'm doing it for you, to protect you.”

But she didn't need protecting. She was a warrior and could take care of herself. She had proven that to Anakin time and time again. Obi-Wan knew it without proof, a nasty voice in her head reminded her. No, Anakin was doing this for himself. He had always been... she didn't want to call it hungry for power but he had always been discontent with the things he had.

“Come away with me. Help me raise our child. Leave everything else behind while we still can”, she pleaded. She hoped to persuade him but she had the strong feeling of talking to a wall. The same feeling she had had after Obi-Wan and her had been alone on Dxun. And she was lying to him.

“Don't you see? We don't have to run away any more. I have brought peace to the Republic. I am more powerful than the Chancellor. I, I can overthrow him. And together, you and I, can rule the galaxy, make things the way we want them to be.”

She shook her head in silent protest. “I don't believe what I'm hearing. Obi-Wan was right. You've changed.”

“I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan.” His eyes were cold. “The Jedi turned against me. Don't you turn against me.”

She knew a threat when it was spit out into her face. This wasn't the small boy any longer that had compared her to an angel.

“I don't know you any more. Anakin, you're breaking my heart. You're going down a path I can't follow.” Obi-Wan was walking a fine line. Anakin had jumped into the abyss. His eyes were so cold. There was no trace left of that childish openness that had fascinated her. Even Obi-Wan who always seemed so much calmer, colder, didn't have such cold eyes.

“Because of Obi-Wan?” He raised his chin, showing off again how much taller he was.

“Because of what you've done, what you plan to do. Stop. Stop now. Come back. I love you.” A half lie. She didn't love him but what he had done made her want to leave him forever. And he didn't even deny killing the younglings. Oh Anakin... Could he? He could.

“You liar!”

What? She turned around only to see Obi-Wan standing at the top of the ship's ramp. He must have known that should go straight to Anakin and hidden away on her ship. She'd known.... Her baby always kicked when he was close.

She was afraid.

“No!” Oh yes, she was a liar. But could a lie be wrong if it stopped them from doing something horrible?

She was afraid of Anakin Skywalker. There was madness dancing in his eyes.

“You are with him. You brought him here to kill me.”

Now he was completely losing it, was her thought. Why should she do that? She didn't love him, that was correct, but she saw him as the little brother of a good friend – despite seeing more in Obi-Wan than just a friend. 

His eyes were cold when his gaze locked onto her and yet they were glowing brighter than the lava of Mustafar when he wrapped the Force around her throat and pulled it tight. Madness dancing in his eyes.

“No...”, she tried to say. Don't do it. Her baby. Obi-Wan.”

“Let her go, Anakin.” Obi-Wan came closer. The expression in his eyes was unreadable even for Padmé. Dangerous. Deadly. “Let. Her. Go.”

It was an eternity before he let go of her. Obi-Wan was standing on the lower end of the ramp now but Padmé only knew that because her baby kicked again. Blood was rushing in her eyes. She tried to breathe, fight for her consciousness.

“You've turned her against me”, Anakin yelled angrily. A dragon roaring.

“You have done that yourself”, Obi-Wan answered. He was right.

Anakin had killed younglings. Whatever else she had done, this alone was enough not to forgive him. He had tried to _kill her baby_. Hot anger flew through her veins.

“You will not take her from me!”

He had already done that, Padmé thought. She had never been Anakin's.

“Your anger and your lust for power have already done that.” And that. Padmé fought against the stiffness that the shortage of oxygen had caused. _He had tried to kill her baby. Obi-Wan's baby._

It was anger that made her get up again while Anakin was still turning his back to her and spout poison words at Obi-Wan. She signed Obi-Wan not to react to her. Anakin was so driven by anger that he didn't even notice her.

“You have allowed this dark Lord to twist your mind until now … until now you have become the very thing you swore to destroy.” He was buying time. For her. She drew her dagger. She always had one with her. The usual detectors didn't notice the ceramic it was made from.

“Don't lecture me, Obi-Wan. I see through the lies of the Jedi.”

But he didn't see Padmé's attack. He was so fixated on Obi-Wan that he only noticed her when her dagger was already inside his back.

Roaring like an angry animal, an angry dragon, he turned around, the lightsaber humming with life. Revenge, madness, anger in his eyes. And disbelief. Padmé jumped backwards, far away from his lightsaber. His blood was on her hands.

Obi-Wan came to her help, stood between her and Anakin.

She felt no regret. _He_ had tried to _kill her baby_.

On Dxun, there existed a mutated carnivore, the nighthunters. They said that a female nighthunter would always protect her young even if it cost her her life. But if she failed, she would track the murderer of her young for years and years until either of them was dead.

Breathing heavily and for a moment smelling the jungles of Dxun again, Padmé stared directly into Anakin's eyes. Those innocent, blue eyes. For just a moment she saw the young boy again.

“No one threatens my child. _No one_.” She drew her blaster. Obi-Wan would protect her but she felt better if she was also capable of protecting herself.

On Naboo, they said, there was no darker anger in the abyss then the one of a pregnant woman in danger. They were right.

Anakin sunk to his knees while his power was slowly fading.

She wanted to tell him that she was sorry although it would have been a lie. _He had attacked her baby_. She could tell him that she had never loved him but when she saw into his eyes now, she saw that he knew already. It was one of the reasons why he had come to hate Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan had had the Master that Anakin should have had. Obi-Wan had failed to save him. Obi-Wan got the love of that woman that Anakin loved. Obi-Wan lived while he died.

With one last surge of power, he stretched out his mechanical hand towards Padmé. She wasn't able to take it. Cold and numb she stood above him, blaster in one hand and the other on her stomach. Behind her, the planet was throwing out his fiery blood. In front of her Anakin's blood was drying on the landing strip.

“I hate you”, he yelled at her, eyes yellow with hate. Not her Anakin. Next to her, Obi-Wan flinched as though the words had whipped him. Maybe Anakin had yelled at him, not at her.

“You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you.” His voice broke and with it his posture. He sunk to his knees and cried. He sounded like a tortured animal. First his Master, now his Padawan, his friend, his brother.

Anakin wasn't dead. While Obi-Wan was numb and helpless with grief, Padmé could only watch in stupor how the chosen one got back up. His face was a grimace of madness, his eyes still sickly yellow. This was a monster that wore Anakin's face to taunt them.

Padmé could just hear Captain Panaka's voice. Hold blaster with dominant hand. Take aim. Steady it with the non-dominant hand. Brace for recoil. Stay calm. _Fire_

The shot left the blaster barrel just when the Sith – she wouldn't call this … this thing Anakin – rose in a storm of darkness that even she could feel and called Anakin's lightsaber to him.

The shot hit him directly between the eyes. A perfect headshot. Sometimes raw, untamed power wasn't everything, Padmé remembered another lesson from Captain Panaka. She kept the blaster ready until she could be sure that the Sith wouldn't rise again.

Then she sank quivering to her knees next to Obi-Wan. She had killedn him Anakin was dead. Now, that the Sith was gone, he looked like the boy from Tatooine again. Poor, innocent Anakin. Tears dripped onto her bloodied, clenched hands. She needed some time to understand that those were her tears.

Obi-Wan regained his composure first. “We should burn him. He was a good Jedi and I want to remember him that way.” He spoke calmly. Padmé knew that he would weep this night. He would withdraw and weep. She would calm after him and comfort him the only way she knew. Holding him.

They let Anakin glide into one of the lava rivers. Obi-Wan kept his lightsaber. He wanted to remember the Jedi. Padmé remembered the boy that had done so much for them, had risked so much just out of the goodness of his heart.

They stayed silent while the lava took him. There were no words to express their emotions now. Her baby grieved with them.

They stayed while the planet grieved, while it reared up and until ever new eruptions forced them to leave. And Padmé left behind what Anakin had seen in her and left like the person she was.

Warrior.

Murderer.

Mother.

**Author's Note:**

> So, this was just necessary because I really, really needed Padmé not just giving up after Anakin turned darkside. After I wrote this (years ago in German), I saw that in the early plannings there was even something similar?


End file.
